Paper receptacle



June' 11, 1935.

W. s. LUCKETT PAPER RECEPTACLE Filed May 11, 1955' INVENTOR. William S. Luc'lrett rr NEY;

Patented June 11,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnraa BEGEPTACLE 'v nmam s. Luckett, New York, N. Y. Application May 11, 1933, Serial No. 670,579

160laima.

My invention relates to receptacles and particularly to paper receptacles for various commodities in liquid, powder, solid or other form.

An important object of the invention is to pro- .vide receptacles made of flexible material such as relatively heavy paper or various types of cardboard, and characterized by substantial strength and rigidity so that they may be filled, transported, and handled with facility and with practically no danger of breakage or leakage.

Another important object of the invention is to provide receptacles of the above type with sealed closures, and an opening in either the body of the receptacle normally closed by a tab or part on one of the closures, or an opening in the closure normally closed by a tab or part on the body of the receptacle, whereby the contents may be dispensed without removing the closures.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for covering the opening when desired after the tab or part which originally sealed the opening has been moved to break the seal and expose the opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in connection with a receptacle of opaque or translucent character to indicate the quantity of material in'the receptacle without opening it for inspection, and such means further serving as a measuring guide'for dispensing purposes.

All of the foregoing and. other objects and advantages of the invention and the means whereby they are accomplished will be pointed out and specifically referred to during the course of the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention, and in which i Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the top of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1, showing the dispensing opening uncovered;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view through the receptacle of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified type of top closure with the dispensing opening closed and uncovered, respectively; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of one side or wall of a receptacle showing content indicating orpouring guide means applied thereto in accordance with my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1-3, the numeral! designates the sides or walls of the receptacle formed preferably from a sheet of relatively flexible cardboard or heavy paper of predetermined size according to the capacity of the receptacles to be formed. The walls I are-formed from the sheet by rolling the sheet to cylindrical form and securing the overlapping longitudinal edges together as 5 at 8 with any suitable adhesive. One end of the receptacle is closed by an end closure 9 in the form of a disc having depending flanges Ill around which the lower ends of the wall 1 are crimped as at H in known manner and by known machines, 10 such closure being commonly known as a spunbottom. In order to make the receptacle relatively rigid, I provide the upper portion or upper ends of the wall 1 with flat areas I2 between lines i3, and preferably make the upper polygonal end of the receptacle of smaller cross-sectional area than the bottom, so that the receptacle is substantially frustro-conical. It will be understood, of course, that the embodiment shown in the drawing is purely illustrative and that the top need not be in all cases rectangular, but may be of any polygonal or other shape.

' In the embodiment shown in Figs. l-3, the upper end of the receptacle is closed by top I 4 having depending flanges l5 corresponding in number and length to the number and width of the walls or areas I 2, against which they flt, the top H being'of the same shape and substantially the same size as the inner. dimensions of the upper end of the receptacle, whereby the top and receptacle so have a telescoping fit. The top H, in accordance with my invention, is secured in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by means of any suitable adhesive applied between the flanges l5 and the upper portions of the areas I! which embrace the flanges, so that the top is more or less permanently secured in place. Where the receptacles are used for milk or other liquids, the interior and exterior of the receptacle is dipped or sprayed or treated with paraflin or similar pure waxy sub- 40 stance, and this forms a covering l6 between the end of the flange l5 and the walls of the container preventing contact of the milk or other liquid with the adhesive. It is understood, of course, that thespun-bottom 9 is also sealed by paraflin in 5 usual manner.

To provide for dispensing the contents from the receptacle without removing either of the closures, regardless of the nature or character of the contents, under the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3, I provide through one of the walls of the flange IS an opening l1, and the corresponding area l2 which overlies the said portion of the flange is scored along lines l8 and I9, the scorings not being deep enough to cut through the 66 material but sumcient to enable tearing of the material along the lines l8 down to the line II to expose theopening ll. Above the top edge of the container wall and extending oi! oi! the por-' tion bounded by the scorings l8 and II, I provide a' tab 2. which not only facilitates and serves tearing of the material along the lines u, but" also may be utilized as a handle in picking up the receptacle in its original sealed form. For

. the purposes of this application, the portion of the shown in Fig. 3, it will not tear of! along the line i 0 but will merely bend therealong, so that if only a portion of the contents are dispensed the tab may be pushed up to again close the opening. In order to hold the tab up and maintain it in position covering the opening after the container has once been opened,"I may provide a keeper for the upper end of the tab in the nature-of a strip 2| secured by any suitable means such as adhesive at its ends to the top H and having its central or intermediate portion unsecured, so that the upper end of the tab 20 may be inserted thereunder, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that any time the user wishes to dispense contents from the receptacle, he or she merely pushes the tab from under the strip 2| a sufl'lcient distance to permit grasping, so that it can be swung down along the crease I! to expose the opening I1 and permit pouring.

-Although it is not absolutely necessary, the preferred method of assembling and filling the receptacle would be to cut the blank from which the side walls are formed to predetermined dimension and secure the longitudinal edges in overlapping relation as indicated at 8 by any suitable adhesive, of course shaping the upper end to any desired polygonal shape. One of the areas I2 wouldbe provided with scorings l8 and I9, preferably before the material is curved and formed into the tubular structures to receive the end closures. The top I 4 would be inserted after adhesive has been applied to the flange IS .with the opening H in alinement with the tab 20 between the scorings l8 and IS. The top may or may not be provided with the strip 2|. Paraflln or a similar substance is then applied to the interior of the receptacle by any suitable means, such as by spraying or dipping to provide the seal l6 between the flange l5 and walls of the receptacle and also along the overlapping edges of the walls. The receptacle can be filled from the bottom and then the disc 9 may be secured in place to tightly seal the contents.

In actual practice, I have found that the structure shown and described is highly desirable, in that the substantially circular bottom and polygonal top with the closure applied in the manner specified, provides a strong and rigid paper or cardboard receptacle. Furthermore, the forming of the flat areas l2 in the manner shown and described does not distort the bottom, and the receptacle has a'perfectly flat rim on which to rest, so that there is no strain on any portions of the sealing medium between the closure and receptacle walls.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown merely the top of a receptacle, the bottom and walls of which are formed exactly in the manner described and shown in connection with the receptacle in Figs.

1-3. However, to illustrate that it is not abso-' lutely necessary to have the telescoping fit between the top closure and walls such that the top is within the walls and embraced thereby, I have shown the closure l4 having flanges l5 embracin; the upper ends of the walls of the receptacle on the exterior thereof. The flanges are secured to the walls by adhesive and the interior may be sprayed with paraflln to provide a seal between the top wall of the closure and the side walls of the receptacle. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the arrangement is the reverse of that shown in Figs. 1-3, and it will be noted that the dispensing opening I l' is formed in one of the areas I2 and the tab 20' is formed or provided on the closure, the scorings It being made vertically across one of the flanges l5 up to the top thereof. I may also provide astrip 2| on the area l2 which has the dispensing opening therein, to.hold the tab 20 down over and covering the opening il' as shown in Fig. 4.

Inboth forms of the invention illustrated the receptacle body preferably has the cylindrical bottom portion and a polygonal upper portion with the walls spaced apart to receive the top closure either in the manner shown in Figs. L3 or Figs. 4 and 5. I flnd that by uniting a flanged closure'such as H or It to the upper portion of receptacle-s made of flexible material in the manner shown, I impart thereto an appreciable amount of rigidity facilitating handling of the receptacle during shipment, sale and use. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3, the free end of the tab which projects above the top of the receptacle also affords a handle which may be grasped to lift the receptacle.

The remaining feature of the invention is shown in Fig. 6, wherein one of the walls or sides of the receptacle is provided with preferably colored areas or blocks 22 arranged in pairs and spaced apart at predetermined deflnite intervals. The areas 22 are lined in the drawing merely for the purpose of illustration to indicate the color blue. The space between the top pair of blocks 22 and the second pair is located in the embodiment ,with paraflin, the level of the liquid in the con- .tainer is not readily discernible, especially where the liquid is colorless or white, such as milk. However, by providing the contrasting colored blocks in the manner shown when the translucent receptacle is held up to the light, one may readily see, and gauge in connection with the colored blocks, the level of the liquid, such level being more readily seen in the space 23 which extends from the top to the bottom of the receptacle between the blocks. The receptacle may be used for other liquids and commodities than those mentioned herein, such as oils of amber or dark colors, and in such case the blocks 22 would also serve as a guiding medium or indicating means as to the level of the liquid within the receptacle. It should be obvious that the blocks 22 and the spaces between the respective pairs of blocks serve also as a guide in pouring predetermined amounts of the contents of the receptacle. The use of the pourtightly sealed within the receptacle, there is no' likelihood of commodities which are afiected by.

atmospheric conditions being spoiled or adversely afiected during storage or shipment, and inasmuch as the dispensing opening is relatively small and may be tightly closed after the original package has been opened, there is little likelihood of the contents being adversely affected while in the possession of the purchaser or user. Furthermore, the invention efiectively prevents substitution or adulteration of the original contents of the package, because to gain access the seals must be broken.

In the appended claims where I use the word tab, I do so in the sense that the tab maybe an integral part of the structure as shown in the drawing or a separate element secured thereto.

I claim:

1. A receptacle made of flexible material comprising a body member having one end polygonal and its other end cylindrical, a polygonal closure member for said first end, means securing said members together and sealing the joint therebetween, a dispensing opening in one member, and .a part on the other member covering said opening and movable to uncover said opening, and a closure for said second end of the body member.

2. A receptacle made of'flexible material comprising a body member having one end polygonal and its other end cylindrical, a polygonal closure member for said first end, means securing said members together and sealing the joint therebetween, a dispensing opening in one member, and a part on the other member covering said opening and movable to uncover said opening, and a closure for said second end of the body member, said part being an integral portion of said other member and provided with a projection extending beyond an edge thereof for grasping.

3. A receptacle made of flexible material comprising a body member having one end polygonal and its other end cylindrical, a polygonal closure member for said first end, means securing said members together, a dispensing opening in one member, and a part on the other member covering said opening and movable to uncover said opening, a closure for said second end of the body member, said part being an integral portion of said member and provided with a projection extending beyond an edge thereof for grasping, and means on the other member to retain said projection in position with said part covering said openmg.

4. A receptacle of flexible material for liquids comprising a body member and a closure member having flanges telescopically engaging the walls of the body and sealed thereto, and one of said the seal between said part and one member has been broken.

5. A receptacle of flexible material comprising a body member. and a closure member having flanges telescopically engaging the walls of the body and sealed thereto, and one of said members having a dispensing opening and the other a 5 scored portion overlying said opening, said scored portion and opening being in the area of the flange, and said scored portion being swingable away from said opening to permit dispensing through said opening.

6. A paper or cardboard receptacle comprising a tubular body member, a closure for each end of the tubular body member, at least one of said closures having a flange telescopingly fitting within the tubular body member, said flange being 15 provided with an opening, a tab on the body member overlying said opening and extending beyond the edge of said body member, said closure being sealed to the body member with the tab sealed over said opening, and means on said closure to 20 hold the projecting portion of the tab flatly thereagainst.

'7. A paper or cardboard receptacle comprising a tubular body member substantially round at one end and polygonal at its other end, a closure 25 for each end of the receptacle, the closure at the polygonal end being flanged'and corresponding in shape and dimensions to the said polygonal end of the body member, the flanges of said closure being disposed within the walls of the body mem- 30 ber and embraced thereby, an opening in said flange, a tab on said body member overlying and closing said opening, said flanges being adhesively united and sealed to said walls.

8. A paper or cardboard receptacle for liquids 35 comprising a tubular body member, a closure for each end of the tubular body member, at least one 01 said closures having a flange fitting over an end of said body member, an opening in the wall of said body member adjacent one end thereof be- 40 neath said flange, and a tab forming a part of said flange overlying said opening and closing the same, said flange, tab, and portions of the walls of the body member embraced thereby being adhesively united and sealed together, said tab on 45 the flange being swingable to expose and cover said opening. a

9. A paper or cardboard receptacle comprising a tubular body member substantially round at one end and polygonal at its other end, a closure for 50 each end of said receptacle, the closure for said polygonal end being flanged and conforming to the shape of said end and placed-thereon with the flanges embracingv portions of the walls of the body member at said end, a dispensing opening in said portion of the walls, and a tab on the flange overlying said dispensing opening, said flange and portion of the walls being adhesively united and sealed together.

10. A paper or cardboard receptacle compris- I ing a tubular body member, a closure for each end of the tubular body member, at least one of said closures having a flange telescopingly fltting within the tubular body member and said flange being provided with an opening, a tab on the body member overlying said opening, and said closures being sealed to the body member with the tab sealed over said opening, a part of said tab projecting beyond the end of said receptacle for grasping when moving said tab to uncover said opening.

11. A paper or cardboard receptacle compris-- ing a tubular body member, a closure for each end of the tubular body member, at least one of said closures having a flange telescopingly fitting tab over said opening alter the tab has once been loosened to uncover said opening.

12. A receptacle or translucent or opaque material having arranged thereon vertically alined areas of a color contrasting with that of the receptacle and spaced apart at deflnite predetermined intervals to indicate the level of the contents within the receptacle. I

13. A receptacle 0! translucent or opaque material having arranged thereon vertically alined pairs of markings, the markings of each pair being spaced apart laterally. and each pair of markings being spaced apart at predetermined intervals and serving as a gauge to determine the level of the liquid within the receptacle. 14. A receptacle of flexible material comprising a body member and a closure member having flanges telescopically engaging the walls of the body and sealed thereto, one oi said members having a dispensing opening in the plane of the flange and the other member a swingable'part overlying said opening, said openingbeing ofless area than said swingable part whereby said part may be tightly sealed against the portion of the member bordering said opening to tightly close the opening. i

15. A paper or cardboard receptacle comprising a body member, a closure for each end of the body member, at least one of said closures having a flange telesoopingly fitting within the walls 01' the body member, said flange'being provided with an opening, a tab on the body member overlying said opening, said tab being of greaterarea than the opening whereby it may be tightly sealed against the surface of the flange bordering said opening, and the flange of said closure being also sealed to the walls of the body member.

16. A paper or cardboard receptacle comprising a body member, a closure for each end of the body member, at least one 01' said closures having a flange telescopingly fitting over the walls of the body member, said flange being provided with a swingable flap, an opening in the wall of the body member beneath said flap and of less area than the flap whereby said flap may be tightly sealed to the portions of the body member bordering said opening. a I

- WILLIAM B. LUCKE'I'I. 

